Electrical wiring in general and automotive electrical system wiring in particular often calls for two wires or conductors to be spliced together to form part of an electrical circuit. Such a requirement arises often in the case of automotive wiring systems when, for example, components such as blowers, sound systems, and other electric and electronic components are removed for repair and then replaced. In many such instances, the original wiring to and from such components must be cut in order to remove the component and then re-spliced when the component is installed again. A variety of other instances also occur during maintenance and indeed during fabrication of all types of vehicles in which wires must be spiced or electrically connected together. In marine environments, for example, wires often must be connected in locations where the connection will be exposed to corrosive moisture such as salt water, fuel oil, or the like. Even in residential and commercial housing, electrical connection of two wires is often required.
A number of connectors have been developed for splicing or connecting wires together. One of the most venerable, for example, is the traditional wire nut, wherein the bare ends of two or more wires are twisted together and an internally spiral threaded nut is twisted or screwed onto the wire ends to hold the ends in tight electrical contact. While such wire nuts are very common and have been used for many years, in commercial and residential wiring, they nevertheless exhibit serious shortcomings in some environments such as in automotive and marine wiring systems. Specifically, in such applications, wire nuts tend to be too bulky to fit into the small tight areas through which the wires often extend. Further, wire nits are not "in line" connectors; that is, the wires, when connected together, are not collinear with each other but rather enter in parallel at the open end of the wire nut. This contributes to the space problem mentioned above and also requires that there be substantial slack in the wires so that their ends can be twisted together. In many cases, the necessary slack is simply not available, particularly in automotive and marine applications. Finally, wire nuts do not create a sealed water tight connection. As a result, they are particularly inapplicable to use in marine applications such as in the wiring systems of boats and ships.
In line electrical connectors have also been developed. Examples of such connectors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,001,131 of Guhl, 3,079,459 of Abbott, 3,786,173 of Vogt, 4,874,909 of Velke, Sr. et al., and 5,502,280 of Rocci et al. While these devices represent various attempts to create in line electrical connectors that are quick connecting and in some instances provide a sealed connection, they nevertheless exhibit various problems and shortcomings inherent in their respective designs. Guhl for example teaches a pair of threaded sleeves that, when threaded onto jaws that embrace the wires, cause the jaws to close on the wires. However, such an arrangement does not couple the wires directly to each other, is difficult to install, and does not form a water tight connection. In the Abbott connector, the bared frayed ends of two wires are brought together in the connector, but are held only loosely together resulting in junction resistance. This device, too, is cumbersome and difficult to install and forms a sealed connection only through the use of clamps that must be installed and tightened.
In Vogt, the ends of two wires are aligned in the connector and are electrically coupled by a metal pin, which pierces the wires to engage the bare conductors therein. No water tight seal is formed and the wires are not connected directly together but only through an ancillary pin. This can and often does result in unwanted electrical resistance at the connection. In Velke the bared ends of two wires are overlapped in a connector housing and the housing is twisted to wrap the ends tightly in a coiled metal gripping element that wraps tightly around the overlapped ends. This approach is interesting, but nevertheless does not form a water tight connection and is subject to degradation over time as the gripping element loosens under the influence of vibration, movement, or stress on the connectors.
Thus, a need exists for an electrical connector that is of the compact in line type, that is quick and easy to install in only a very few steps, that forms a permanent water tight electrical connection between two conductors, and that is economical to manufacture and reliable in use. It is to the provision of such an electrical connector that the present invention is primarily directed.